Drivers' Corner - Caring in Action

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Have you ever experienced trying to stop on a wet surface? The afternoon was still overcast from the rain the morning I was making my last delivery of wooden pallets to a company on the ship channel in the Houston, Texas area.

I was in the fast lane and had a pickup beside me in the right lane. After checking my chains in the mirror, I looked forward to see the signal light go from yellow to red. My first inclination was to shut down but I was to close. I would have gone into a skid that would have taken out the entire intersection.

It was shift change time and cars were lined up at the intersection wanting to go home. Everyone saw my peril and remained stopped except for one four-wheeler. A lady did not see me and attempted to enter from the left, crossing in front of me over to the right lane.

I caught her right front fender and spun her under my trailer wheels. Her car was cut in half but she was not injured. She sat there spinning around with no back to her car.

My tractor and trailer went into a ditch and was headed straight for a utility pole. I stood up in the cab pulling on the steering wheel, but to no avail. Suddenly, the earth hardened and the tractor swerved to the left-missing the pole. Due to the quick turn, however, the trailer leaned over and the wooden pallets were sheared off the trailer by the utility pole. It looked like someone had built a very large bonfire. The tractor sustained some minor damage to the left fuel tank.

Obviously, I was at fault. I should have followed these simple procedures:

1. Make speed adjustments for road conditions when not in normal weather. If raining, freezing, or snowing-compensate by lowering your speed.
2. Understand that stopping on a wet surface requires double the distance when traveling 55 mph. Over 200 feet is required for a dry surface at 55 mph while approximately 450 is needed on a wet surface.
3. Maintain control of your space and be alert to what is going on around you at all times. It is important to watch your load, however. When in heavy traffic and/or inclement conditions, pull off the highway to check your load.

Bob Hataway is president of TransAlive USA, an organization of 100,000 volunteers across America dedicated to serving drivers and their families in the transportation industry through their Caring in Action=Safety Program. They cover every zip code in the United States and move quickly to meet the needs of the drivers and their families when they experience an accident, illness, heart attack or even death on the highway. Call 800-USA-HURT for assistance.